Zinnia grandiflora | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Zinnia |
Species: | Z. grandiflora |
Binomial name | |
Zinnia grandiflora Nutt. 1840 | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Zinnia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Rocky Mountain zinnia and plains zinnia. [2] It is native to the southwestern and south-central United States (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona) [3] and northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Zacatecas). [2] [4] Zinnia grandiflora is used by many Native American tribes for its medicinal properties as well as for its vibrant yellow color for paint and dyes. There have also been experiments done using Zinnia grandiflora to understand the extent of its healing abilities.
Zinnia grandiflora is used for many things from medicinal purposes to dyes and paint. They are also non-toxic to pets.
This plant is used by several Native American groups, including the Zuni and Navajo, for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. [5]
Among the Zuni people, this plant is applied in a poultice to bruises, cold infusion of blossoms used as an eyewash, and smoke from powdered plant inhaled in sweatbath for fever. [6]
The Acoma and Laguna Indians used Zinnia grandiflora to heal kidney illnesses by drinking an infusion of it. It was also used on buckskins to dye them yellow. [7] By adding the flower to water or white clay it can also be used to color wool. Scientists are also looking into other uses of Zinnia grandiflora as well.
Zinnia grandiflora has also been used in a few experiments regarding irrigation and affects on mice. in one of those experiments, Texas AgriLife Research Center at El Paso, Texas A&M University System [8] used six species of wildflowers native to North America were used to test their tolerance to salt in their irrigation. The wildflowers were Salvia farinacea (mealy cup sage), Berlandiera lyrata (chocolate daisy), Ratibida columnaris (Mexican hat), Oenothera elata (Hooker’s evening primrose), Zinnia grandiflora (plains zinnia), and Monarda citriodora (lemon horsemint). They discovered that Zinnia grandiflora had a very slow rate of growth and were all dead by the end of the experiment.
Another experiment done was an experiment on the effects of Zinnia grandiflora in mice, specifically using it as an anti-inflammatory and antiallodynic. Zinagrandinolide E was taken from Zinnia grandiflora plants and given to mice with either carrageenan-induced inflammation and tactile allodynia hyperglycemia. They found that ZGE was effective for treating the mice's inflammation pain. [9]
Zinnia grandiflora is a small flat-topped or rounded subshrub growing up to 22 cm (8+1⁄2 in) tall with many slender, branching stems. The oppositely arranged leaves are linear and 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄4 in) long. The herbage is covered in short, rough hairs. The flower head has 3 to 6 bright yellow ray florets each between 1–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) in length. At the center is a cluster of several tubular disc florets. It grows on plains and foothills and other dry habitats in the southwestern and south central states of the United States. [2] It blooms from around April through November. Zinnia grandiflora grows best in the sun and with more dry soil. This flower is good for drier landscapes because they are "drought-tolerant" meaning they do not need lots of water to grow. [8] Zinnia grandiflora can't live in wet conditions. this plant works very well to help fight erosion due to its rhizomes. [10] Rhizomes are stems that grow horizontally to the ground making them very sturdy which helps stop erosion. [11] They are also good for pollinators because they do not have any insect issues and will attract insects good for a garden such as butterflies. [10]
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae) native to central and eastern North America. Commonly known as New England aster, hairy Michaelmas-daisy, or Michaelmas daisy, it is a perennial, herbaceous plant usually between 30 and 120 centimeters tall and 60 to 90 cm wide.
Plains coreopsis, garden tickseed, golden tickseed, or calliopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria, is an annual forb. The plant is common in Canada, northeast Mexico, and much of the United States, especially the Great Plains and Southern states where it is often called "calliopsis". The species is also widely cultivated and naturalized in China.
Cleomella serrulata, commonly known as Rocky Mountain beeplant/beeweed, stinking-clover, bee spider-flower, skunk weed, Navajo spinach, and guaco, is a species of annual plant in the genus Cleomella. Many species of insects are attracted to it, especially bees, which helps in the pollination of nearby plants. It is native to southern Canada and the western and central United States. The plant has often been used for food, to make dyes for paint, and as a treatment in traditional medicine.
Bouteloua gracilis, the blue grama, is a long-lived, warm-season (C4) perennial grass, native to North America.
Uvularia grandiflora, the large-flowered bellwort or merrybells, is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, native to eastern and central North America.
Ratibida columnifera, commonly known as upright prairie coneflower, Mexican hat, and longhead prairie coneflower, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the genus Ratibida in the family Asteraceae. It is native to much of North America and inhabits prairies, plains, roadsides, and disturbed areas from southern Canada through most of the United States to northern Mexico.
Lithospermum incisum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by several common names, including fringed puccoon, narrowleaf stoneseed, fringed gromwell, narrowleaf puccoon, and plains stoneseed. It is native to much of central Canada and the United States, where it is known from many types of habitat, but particularly piñon-juniper woodland. It is a hairy perennial herb growing from a narrow brown to black taproot and woody caudex. It produces a cluster of stems up to about 30 centimeters long. The stems are lined with narrow, pointed leaves up to 6 centimeters long. The slender, trumpet-shaped flowers are pale to bright yellow or gold, and may approach 4 centimeters long. The corolla face is 1 to 2 centimeters wide, its lobes sometimes ruffled. The smaller cleistogamous (closed) flowers are the main producers of seed.
Viola adunca is a species of violet known by the common names hookedspur violet, early blue violet, sand violet, and western dog violet. It is native to meadows and forests of western North America, Canada, and the northern contiguous United States.
Gutierrezia sarothrae is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names broom snakeweed, broomweed, snakeweed, and matchweed. It is a subshrub native to much of the western half of North America, from western Canada to northern Mexico, and can be found in a number of arid, grassland, and mountain habitats. It can be toxic to livestock in large quantities, due mainly to the presence of saponins.
Helianthus maximiliani is a North American species of sunflower known by the common name Maximilian sunflower.
Chaetopappa ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names rose heath and heath-leaved chaetopappa. It is native to the southwestern and western Great Plains regions of the United States, plus northern Mexico. It is found in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and Nuevo León.
Cirsium ochrocentrum is a species of thistle known by the common name yellowspine thistle. It is native to the Great Plains of the Central United States and to the desert regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. Its range extends from eastern Oregon east to the Black Hills of South Dakota, south as far as the Mexican State of Durango.
Abronia fragrans, the sweet sand-verbena, snowball sand-verbena, prairie snowball or fragrant verbena, is a species of sand verbena.
Leymus cinereus is a species of wild rye known by the common names basin wild rye, Great Basin wild rye, and Great Basin lyme grass. It is common in western North America.
Dieteria canescens is an annual plant or short lived perennial plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names hoary tansyaster and hoary-aster.
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names tansyleaf tansyaster and Tahoka daisy.
Phoradendron juniperinum is a species of flowering plant in the sandalwood family known by the common name juniper mistletoe. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in various types of woodland habitat. It has been reported from California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Texas, Chihuahua and Sonora.
Stanleya pinnata is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known as desert prince's-plume. It is a perennial herb or shrub native to North America.
Artemisia frigida is a widespread species of flowering plant in the aster family, which is known as the sunflower family. It is native to Europe, Asia, and much of North America. In parts of the north-central and northeastern United States it is an introduced species.
See also Zuni ethnobotany, and Native American ethnobotany.
Media related to Zinnia grandiflora at Wikimedia Commons